Wahlberg not bitter about Oscar snub

The Hollywood actor stars as real life boxing legend 'Irish' Micky Ward in the new picture, while Bale appears alongside him as Ward's half-brother Dicky Ecklund.

The film garnered a number of nominations when the Academy Awards shortlist was announced on Tuesday (25Jan11), including a Best Picture nod, while Bale will compete for the Best Supporting Actor prize.

Wahlberg, who also acted as a producer on The Fighter, was left out of the acting honours, but insists he's just happy for his film to be recognised.

He says, "(Considering) how long and hard we worked simply to get this movie made, I'm especially thrilled for the Ward and Eklund families and am so excited for my partner on screen - Christian Bale."